Thanks to new technology, managers now run businesses around the world without leaving the U.S.

One of the small triumphs of global commerce is that anyone who craves Cajun-spiced drumsticks can now find them at 285 Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits restaurants in 21 countries, from Australia to Saudi Arabia. But the worldwide spread of America's fat-drenched fast food is an old story. What's new is the way that more and more of these businesses are run: by managers based in the U.S. who direct and assist their overseas branches through the Internet, e-mail, phone and videoconferencing. Call them virtual bosses. They offer a more efficient way for hundreds of U.S. multinational firms--from restaurant franchisers and hoteliers...